Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

The large number of recalls in recent history has caused consumers to doubt the safety of our food supply as well as stimulated scrutiny of regulatory agencies in the food industry. While FDA and USDA guidelines, policies and inspections are devised to ensure the safety of our nation's food supply, they still can be a source of frustration and confusion within the food industry, and their efficacy is sometimes called into question.

Established in 1978, Kinnerton today is part of Zetar Plc, and can boast a turnover of £60 million ($92 million). At its manufacturing plant in Fakenham, the company produces confectionery ranging from Easter eggs and Advent calendars, through to chocolate bars and chocolate miniature figures, as well as chocolate lollipops.

Yesterday, global media sources were abuzz with news that Israel has banned imports of the Apple iPad , citing concerns that the unit’s wireless frequencies are not compatible with national standards.
American WiFi standards permit broadcasting at a higher power than European standards; Israeli standards mirror those of Europe.

Dynamic Conveyor (Muskegon, MI) offers a rapid part cooling system used in conjunction with a DynaCon modular conveyor system that provides instant cool air in the hottest environments, such as production lines, manufacturing processes, injection molding, and others. The unit creates cool air up to 25 degrees below room temperature, and provides up to 60,000 BTU/hour.

PORTER-CABLE (Towson, MD) introduces its new heavy-duty 15 Amp Circular Saw (PC15TCSMK), which offers a lightweight construction (9.5 lbs) for a more comfortable grip. An angled auxiliary handle allows users to naturally and comfortably hold the saw without impeding line of sight.

Olympus Canada Inc. (Markham, Ontario, Canada) and Hitachi High-Technologies Canada have announced a new partnership to make Olympus the exclusive distributor of the new TM3000 Table Top Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The new fully-automated, table-top SEM offers 30,000X magnification, good depth of field, a compact size, and affordability.

Fasteners Plus, Inc. (Iverness, IL) has developed the Hard Lock Nuts, which are designed to withstand loosening from vibration longer than any other fastener on the market. A unique wedge principle creates a self-locking force — a small curve in the sliding part of the convex top of the lower nut acts as the wedge, and the effect is similar to hammer-driving in a wedge.

Hydro Systems Co. (Cincinnati, OH) has developed the ICS Mobile Touchless Cleaning Systems as a way to cut costs through reduced water and chemical consumption, lower energy bills, and decreased man-hours, all while providing a higher standard of cleanliness. The ICS can clean a typical six-fixture restroom with less than half a gallon of water.

With increasing pressure from retailers, competition from low-cost manufacturers, and global market expansion, consumer product manufacturers are carefully examining their production processes. They seek to help their operations become leaner, reduce cost and time to market, and ultimately impact the top and bottom line.

YONGIN, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics said workers at its semiconductor factories face no heightened cancer risk as the world's top maker of memory chips tried to quell health fears following employee illnesses and deaths.
South Korea's biggest company is trying to reassure the public after a January lawsuit involving six people who developed leukemia and lymphoma they claim was caused by exposure to radiation and benzene, a carcinogen, in Samsung chip factories.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The widow of a Cintas Corp. worker who died after falling into an industrial dryer in Tulsa has settled her wrongful death lawsuit against the nation's largest uniform supplier, according to federal court records.
Thursday's settlement with the Cincinnati-based company came four days before a federal trial was to begin in Tulsa.

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it will investigate reports of poor working conditions at a factory in southern China that makes some of its products.
The world's largest software maker was responding to a report from The National Labor Committee, a nonprofit that looks into the treatment of foreign workers by U.

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney says a federal court judge wrongly emphasized what company executives may have thought rather than what they did in deciding to shift 1,000 jobs out of Connecticut.
The East Hartford-based subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Springfield plant where a worker was crushed to death inside machinery has been cited for more than a dozen alleged safety violations.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Thursday it has found one willful and 15 serious violations at Buckhorn Inc.

Manufacturing, an industry long known as the most vital to the overall economic strength of North America, is faltering. Without the attention it so desperately deserves, it is in grave danger of continual decline. While financial experts claim the economic situation is entering the recovery stage, industries such as manufacturing are still struggling to gain traction.

Yokogawa (Newnan, GA) announces the release of the ProSafe-RS R2.03.00, an enhanced version of the ProSafe-RS Safety Instrumented System, which includes a new CPU module that is 3.5 to 4 times faster than the previous version. In addition, a new digital output module is included for use with higher voltage devices.

Lowell Corporation (Worcester, MA) has introduced a new torque wrench kit that gives workers greater flexibility in working with US-style No-HUB couplings up to 60 or 80 lb-in. Each kit comprises of two Lowell T-Torker torque wrenches and three hex sockets (1/4”, 5/16”, and 3/8”), with one wrench preset to 60 lbs.

Hayward Flow Control Systems (Clemmons, NC) offers a new line of CE- and CSA-Approved reversing, quarter-turn actuators, designed for use with all ball and butterfly valves up to 24” in size and torque outputs from 300-13,500 in. lbs. The EPM actuators include a modular design that utilize US-manufactured modular PC boards to eliminate 90 percent of internal wiring for higher quality, reliability, and easier maintenance.

The Transit Connect Electric is Ford’s first all-electric vehicle, but the company insists its just the first of four new vehicles arriving in the near future that will dart around the city without a single puff of exhaust. The Transit Connect is meant to replace gasoline-driven fleet vehicles with a top speed of 75 mph and a range of 80 miles.

It’s a chemical you find in most soaps, anti-bacterial products, and even toothpaste: triclosan. While it’s been given a pass by the FDA as safe for humans, some organizations, such as the National Resource Defense Council, think it’s hazardous. Studies on animals have shown a tendency for triclosan to affect thyroid and sex hormones, which can lead to behavioral changes and learning abnormalities.